


A Rainy November Night (Alyanette Week 2k18)

by Noble_Nook



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alyanette Week, Comfort, F/F, Fluff, Monster!Bug, Monster!Rena, alyanette - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-11
Updated: 2018-11-19
Packaged: 2019-08-22 03:46:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16590257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Noble_Nook/pseuds/Noble_Nook
Summary: A would-be study date at the library comes to an early end once Marinette reveals that she's been feeling a little under the weather and, despite her best efforts, can't seem to work through it on her own. Luckily for her, she's got Alya by her side.Written for Alyanette Week 2018! This is intended to be one connected story that'll (hopefully) go up over the course of the week!





	1. Study Date

“Hey, sweetheart,” Alya softly whistled. “You still with me?”

“Hm? Yeah, yeah,” Marinette cleared her throat, blinking rapidly for a few seconds to get the blur out of her eyes. “I’m here, I’m studying.”

“Uh-huh.” Alya knowingly crossed her arms. “In that case, what did I just read to you?”

“Uh…” Marinette glanced down at the stack of textbooks in front of her, at the top of which was one for algebra. “A math problem?” She nervously grinned.

“What  _specifically_  did I read to you?”

“The...Pythagorean Theorem?”

“Yeah, we were talking about chemistry.” Alya laughed. “Guess it’s kinda hard to study when you don’t even open the book, huh?”

Marinette’s head met the books with a groan. “I’m sorry.”  

“It’s alright, I don’t know anyone that actually  _wants_  to study.” Alya gently tousled her hair.

“It’s not just that.” Marinette sighed. “I’ve been really out of it the last few days.”

“Yeah, I’ve noticed. You even forgot we were coming to the library a few times today.” She ran her fingertips along one of her girlfriend’s pigtails. “Everything alright?”

“I think I’m getting sick.” Marinette admitted. “I feel like I am, anyway.”

“You poor thing.” Alya moved a hand along various points of her body, noticing the difference in the way she breathed compared to how it usually was. “I guess you do sound a little...wheezier than normal.”

Marinette sniffled, tilting her head towards her with a smirk. “Do I normally wheeze?”

“Sometimes. It’s _real_ subtle.”

“Oh, pfft.”

“It’s cute, though. I like the wheeze.”

Marinette giggled until she started coughing and quickly covered her mouth. On instinct, Alya started more firmly rubbing on her in an effort to keep her calm and soothe whatever pain she might have been feeling.

“See?” She muttered once she recovered. “Totally sick.”

“Yeah, that sounds...pretty bad, Mari.” Alya reached for her backpack, just in case she started sneezing. “We probably shouldn’t have come out with you like this.”

“Yeah, I know.” Marinette agreed. “I just need to get ready for this test and thought I could handle it.”

“I think it’s more like you need a day off.”

“That too.” She brought her head up with a yawn. “Too bad evil never sleeps. Whether it’s an Akuma or a math test.”

Alya’s eyes rolled some. “But  _you_ should. After you take some medicine and eat something nice, that is.”

“I can sleep once I’ve finished these notes.” Marinette shuffled some papers around, the most writing on any of them being that of her name scribbled at the top of one sheet.

“How about I do that?” Alya’s arm slipped around her girlfriend’s lower back. “You haven’t even started and I know what you need, so I can just jot it all down later.”

“Okay, but…” she scrunched up her face some. “What if there’s an Akuma attack tonight?”

“Then you can, ahem-” Alya deepened her voice and held out her hand. “Give me your Miraculous.”

Marinette snorted. “Don’t, ah, don’t do that again.” she coughed. “It kinda hurts to laugh.”

“Which is exactly why we should get going.” Alya began moving things around, collecting much of what was on the desk and putting it into her bag. “The sooner we get some soup in you, the better.”  

“How am I supposed to turn down Alya Césaire’s egg-and-cheese-drop ramen?” Marinette snickered, grabbing the bundle of tissues and shoving them in her pocket once she stood up. “You...would look really good in the suit, though.”

“You think?”

“Oh yeah, definitely.”

Alya swung a strap around her shoulder and offered Marinette her hand with a smile. “Can you walk?”

“I’m just sick, Alya.” Marinette chuckled, their fingers gently intertwining. “And not even  _that_  sick. It’s probably just a cold.”

“Yeah, remember the last time you got sick? The time you sneezed so hard you fell over and busted your butt?” Alya teased. “We almost had to go to the doctor for that.”

“Yes, I remember.” Marinette nuzzled up close, only to suddenly stop their walking before they’d even gotten near the library exit. “Er, wait, what about your thing? That was like, half the reason we even came here.”

“My project? I’ve got a few more days, it can wait.”

“But I said I’d help.”

“Oh, pff, don’t worry about it, it’s not that important.”   

“It’s something you care about,” Marinette sniffled a little deeper than before. “So that means it’s pretty important to me.”

Alya took a moment to examine the look on Marinette’s face. She was clearly tired and ragged and the fact that she was sick became more apparent the longer she stared, but the little curl in the corner of her lips had hardly wavered. Her obvious determination was sweet enough to make Alya blush.

“You never stop, do you?” She brushed a hand along her girlfriend’s cheek with a resigned yet loving sigh.

“ _Never_.” Marinette warmly smiled, taking a deep breath before adjusting her posture to stand up straight and look a little more composed than she really was. “Now, where do you want me?”


	2. Interview

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alya's interview of a sick Marinette predictably doesn't go as intended, so she comes up with a new plan to better help her girlfriend's situation.

“So,” Marinette moved up in her seat. “An interview, huh? Something for your production class?”

“Kind of.” Alya answered, diligently setting up her mini-tripod on the opposite end of the library table. “We’re supposed to like, fluff up our portfolio or whatever, so that’s part of why I’m doing this.”

“Right.” She gave a nod, quickly muffling a sneeze with a tissue she pulled from her pocket. “And what’s the other part?”

“Well, you know what’s coming up, don’t you?” Alya pulled a camera out of her backpack and twisted it into place.

“Um...Neither of our birthdays, right?” Marinette lowly snickered. “I’d hope I’m not that sick already.”

“No, not one of ours, you’re not that far gone.” Alya slightly chuckled. “But it technically is a birthday.”

Marinette hummed in thought for a moment, cocking an eyebrow when she thought she figured it out. “The blog?”

“Yep.” Alya answered, fiddling with the settings of her device. “It’s turning five years old in a few weeks.”

“Jeez, I’ve-er, Ladybug’s been around that long?”

“Mhm. Five long years.”

“It feels like twenty right about now.”

“If it helps,” Alya approached, fixing her girlfriend’s frayed hairstyle up some with a gentle stroke of her fingertips. “You don’t have any grey hairs yet.”

“Yeah, not  _yet_ , but just you wait.” Marinette huffed a restrained cough. “I’m totally gonna go grey by like, twenty six.”

“I dunno, you’d probably pull it off.” Alya teased, gently pecking at the top of her head before returning to the opposite side of the table. “Like a...silver fox, or a silver vixen or whatever.”

“I think I’d rather leave the fox stuff to you.” She giggled. “Er, anyway, what’s this interview supposed to be about?”

Alya adjusted the height of her tripod. “It doesn’t have to be about anything in particular, but I was thinking, since it’s the anniversary of the blog,” She looked up from the camera. “Maybe it’ll be like, people thanking Ladybug, telling her how much she means to them, that kinda stuff.”

“You,” Marinette wasn’t sure if the sudden fit of coughing she suffered from was due to sickness or from a sense of surprise. “You want  _me_  to say something nice to Ladybug? But, uh, y’know…” She anxiously chuckled.

“Yes,  _I_ know, but the city doesn’t.”

“Erm, still, isn’t that kind of...cheating? To interview the person you’re making it for?”

“Cheating?” Alya laughed, subtly shaking her head. “Look, just...say something nice about yourself, yeah? I’m gonna start recording now, so go whenever you’re ready.”

Marinette blinked, glancing as the red light flashed on the front of the camera. “I’m...drawing a blank.”

“C’mon,” Alya softly encouraged, keeping her voice low to hopefully stop it from being picked up on the microphone. “You gotta have something you can say to Ladybug, the greatest hero and most beautiful girl in all of Paris.”

She tried in vain not to blush at the not-so subtle compliment. It was more of a task to praise herself than she might have guessed. Whatever she managed to think up felt flat or uninspired. Too generic to be convincing or too casual to seem sincere, is what she told herself. As if she wouldn’t take her own word. However, with the camera rolling and the tissue supply running low, she decided to simply blurt out the next positive thing that came to mind.

“She...makes a mean...macaroon?” Marinette nervously grinned.

Alya’s head dipped forward. “Ladybug makes macaroons, huh?”

“I mean, she  _might._ We can’t, ah-” Marinette let out a loud sneeze that briefly interrupted her thought. “We can’t know for sure that she doesn’t.”

“Oh yeah, Ladybug’s totally just some sweet, innocent baker girl behind the mask.” She snickered.

“You never know.” Marinette playfully shrugged, coughing briefly into her hand. “She could even run her own blog.”

“A superhero running a superhero themed blog?” Alya scoffed. “That’s a bit far fetched, Mari.”

Marinette’s giggling was a bit rough and strained, but she kept laughing regardless. “I’m just saying.” She spoke with a slight wheeze.

“Right, well, since you’re starting to sound like a squeak toy,” Alya turned off the recording. “I think we should cut this interview short.”

“Yeah, probably for the best.” Marinette smiled, then gave a subtle pout. “I’m sorry, I really wanted to help you.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it.” Alya comforted. “We’ve still got plenty of time to get you talking about how great Ladybug is.” She added with a smirk.

“I know, it’s just...I’m totally ruining date night.”

“It’s not like you got sick on purpose, Mari.”

“Yeah, but still.” Marinette blew her nose. “I was really looking forward to tonight.”

Alya put a few things back in her bag and zipped it shut. “Just because we’re going home doesn’t mean the night is over, y’know.” She knelt down beside her, gently wrapping an arm around her back.

“You sound like you have a plan.” Marinette grinned, stifling a groan. “What’re ya thinking?”

“Well, I know we pass that little tea place you love, and tea is supposed to be good for a sore throat, right? So...” Alya’s fingertips brushed soothingly along the back of Marinette’s neck. “Maybe we could stop in on the way back to the dorm?”

“Yeah,” Marinette took a moment to breathe. “I think I’d like that.”

“Thought so.” Alya cooed, running a thumb up her cheek. “Want me to carry your bag?”

“Er,” Marinette glanced at her backpack, then back at Alya with a tinge of blush on her face. “If you...don’t mind.”

“Not at all.” Alya warmly smiled, offering a hand to help her girlfriend to her feet. “C’mon, let’s get you some tea.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So far, so...continuing the same story without caving and doing a one-shot! Honestly I came up with something I really like that's gonna happen over the next two chapters so I hope it comes out well!


	3. Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette and Alya begin to walk home from the tea shop when Alya starts to wonder if there's more to Marinette's apologetic behavior than meets the eye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a bit delayed I got sick lol but I'm totally set on finishing this story one way or another!

“I can see why you like this place so much. This stuff is great.” Alya held the door open with one hand and took a sip from her to-go cup with the other. “Well, it’s almost as good as the tea you make, anyway.”

“Nice save, Miss. Césaire.” Marinette teased, a light chuckle in her throat. “So how much do I owe you?” she started to walk.

“Your undying love and affection?” Alya answered.

“I think you’ve already got that.” Marinette smirked. “I meant like, money-wise. This place makes good tea, but it’s not exactly cheap.”

“Hey, I set my terms,” Alya shrugged. “And in my book, you’ve already repaid me.”

Marinette scoffed. “That’s…” she shook her head some. “I can’t let you carry my bag and buy me tea in the same night.”

“Yeah you can, and guess what?” Alya’s free hand intertwined with Marinette’s. “I’m gonna hold your hand while we walk, too.”

“You’re too much.” Marinette snickered, stifling a slight cough. “I...really am sorry though.”

“You keep saying that.”

“Because it’s true, I, uh, I didn’t mean to ruin tonight.”

“Marinette, you haven’t ruined anything.”

“I mean, we were supposed to be all cuddly in the library all night and then, y’know, go to dinner or something” Marinette trailed off, realizing that there hadn’t been much of a plan for their evening.

“We still were.” Alya chuckled. “Or don’t you remember the back rub? And tea totally counts as dinner, even if you sorta chugged yours.”

“No, I do! I, er, I mean like…” Marinette huffed. “It was supposed to be more...romantic.”

Alya’s walking stopped and she stepped in front of her with a hand comfortably cupping the side of her warm face. “There is nothing more romantic than taking care of your sick girlfriend,” she teased with a genuine smile. “And it’s not like it’s our anniversary or anything, not that you getting sick would ruin that, either.”

“I, er, I know, but…” Marinette blushed some, her head dipping down with a slight frown on her lips.

Alya gave it some thought once her sentence tapered off. This reaction her girlfriend had to getting suck wasn’t exactly uncommon of her and she’d frequently apologized for it in the past in a similar manner to this, but there seemed to be something else behind it. What convinced her that there was more going on than she first suspected was the fact that Marinette appeared to struggle with looking her in the eye.

“You’re taking this really hard, Mari,” she brushed her thumb along her cheek. “Is something else going on?”

“I…” Marinette’s blush flared. “No, er, I mean, it was just this, um, silly idea I had.”

“I like silly,” Alya cooed. “But I’m not gonna force it out of you.”

Marinette sighed, running a hand along her neck. “It’s, uh, well,” she stuttered and stumbled on her words. “I wanted to spell you something tonight.”

“Spell?”

“No, no, er, tell! I meant tell!”

“Hey, relax.” Alya’s arm wrapped around her back, snuggling her close. “Take your time, I’m not goin’ anywhere, so you can confess whenever you’re ready.”

“Okay.” Marinette breathed, steadying herself with the help of Alya’s gentle grasp. “I, um...I never told you before, but I...I love you.”

Alya withheld a snicker. “We’ve been dating for two years, Mari, I’d hope so.”

“No, I meant like…”

Her soft voice trailed off again and her head dipped back. The glowing hazel eyes that met her flustered gaze seemed to flicker in a way that put her at ease. Her subtle smirk reassured her scatterbrained thoughts and feelings. Determination as a whole took root the long she stared at Alya’s warm, comforting expression.

“Alya, I love you and...I’ve loved you since high school, since we first met and I’m just so glad that you’re in my life because I, er, I don’t know where I’d be without you, you’re so important to me and, um...yeah.”

Alya blinked for a moment, her face having grown a darker shade of red through the entirety of Marinette’s speech. “You, um, you really feel like that, huh?”

“Yeah, I,” Marinette remembered to breathe. “I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately and honestly I just wish I’d realized it sooner than I did. Maybe I’d have asked you out earlier.”

“I’m just glad you did.” Alya smiled, squeezing her arms around Marinette. “Which, knowing you, is more than an accomplishment.”

“Hey, I just poured my guts out and that’s the thanks I get?” Marinette snickered, hugging Alya back just as tightly.

“No, I mean it.” Alya recounted. “I remember you only stuttered like, five times when you first asked me out. And you only got the name of the restaurant wrong like, twice.”

“Haven’t beat that record yet, have I?”

“Nah, but we’re working on it.”

Alya held her close for another minute or so and admired her. Dusk had fallen long before they’d even left the library but it was only just now that she noticed the way it reflected in her girlfriend’s dark hair. The same could be said about the way the subtle moonlight lovingly lit up her eyes despite being restricted by darkened clouds. It took her some proper effort to snap out of the trance that was Marinette.

“Anyway,” she cleared her throat. “It’s getting cold, so we better head back.”

“Yeah, let’s, um-” Marinette stopped, tilting her head down at the sidewalk. “I think it’s starting to rain.”

“Oh.” Alya noticed the light pattering of rain behind her. “Shoot, it was supposed to rain tonight, and it-”

The sky opened up before she could finish her thought. What was initially a gentle rainfall quickly became a growing downpour complete with a few flashes of lightning and thunder. Both of them ran a few steps back to the tea shop and took cover below the awning.

“Of course.” Marinette playfully sighed, putting a hand to her face.

Alya ran a hand through her suddenly wet hair with a smirk. “I don’t suppose you’ve still got that umbrella I gave you?”

“You mean, er, the one from high school?”

“Yeah.”

“I do, but it’s...at the dorm.”

“Okay, let’s just give it a minute.” Alya nudged the zipper on Marinette’s pink hoodie up some.

“Yeah.” Marinette nodded, a somewhat goofy grin on her face. “Maybe it’ll clear up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm did I just make the umbrella scene from Origins an Alyanette thing?? Maybe ;)


	4. Miraculous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alya and Marinette quickly devise a plan to get out of the rain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hihi I'm sorry this is late and junk I'm really sick lmao  
> Alsoooooo remember last chapter where I sorta made the umbrella scene an Alyanette thing?? Well that's not the only twist I had planned >:)

“So…” Marinette hummed, glancing up at the rumbling sky amid a downpour of rain. “It’s been a minute, and I think it’s only getting worse.” **  
**

“Yeah,” Alya looked up from her phone. “And it’s supposed to keep going for the rest of the night.”

“Don’t suppose you’ve got any other ideas, huh?” Marinette chuckled.

“I did,” Alya lightly scoffed. “But you left it at the dorm.”

“Why would you give me the only umbrella you own?”

“Because it was romantic!”

Marinette snickered until she coughed. “It’d probably be more romantic now.”

“Hm, I don’t know, that moment was pretty special, but...” Alya took a quick look at the otherwise empty street as it was relentlessly pounded by rain, the streetlights glowing in the darkness. “Alright, maybe by just a little ”

“Pff, I was just messing with you.” Marinette lazily ran a few fingers through her hair. “You stood there in the pouring rain for me, Alya, holding that umbrella over my head until I took it and I...I wouldn’t trade that moment for anything.”

“Don’t forget the part where it snapped shut on you.” Alya teased as a means of hiding her blush.

“You probably rigged it to shut.” Marinette playfully accused, giving her a slight nudge with her shoulder. “Er, anyway, we...really need to get out of this before it gets even worse.”

Alya nodded in agreement. “Well, the way I see it, we’ve only got two options. The first one is where we pull our bags over our heads and book it down the street.”

“Not the safest idea, but I always did love jumping in puddles.” Marinette smiled.

“Yeah, well, the other option is where we run for the nearest alleyway and...slip into something more comfortable.”

“Oh yeah, good point. Tikki’s passed out in my lunchbox.”

“Er, on second thought, I don’t know how good an idea it would be for you to transform, too.”

“Whaddya mean?” Marinette sneezed on cue.

Alya subtly snorted. “That’s what I mean.”

“You think I can’t handle flying while sick?” Marinette rubbed her nose and put a hand to her hip.

“I think we shouldn’t risk you running us into the Arc de Triomphe.” Alya handed her their last remaining tissue.

“Aw, c’mon, we’re not even close to that and besides,” Marinette plead her case. “How else are we gonna do it?”

“I was thinking I’d carry you.” Alya answered.

“So you’d carry your bag, my bag, and me?” Marinette chuckled under her breath. “You know I get two extra arms, right?”

“Good point,” Alya brushed a thumb down the side of her face. “We don’t need you dropping our stuff all over the city with all your wheezing and stuff.”

Marinette playfully pouted. “I thought you said you liked the wheeze.”

“Yeah, the one you have when you’re not sick.” Alya snickered and pulled Marinette’s hood up. “Now, let’s get moving.”

The two looked both ways and took off as soon as the coast was clear. Alya kept one hand on the straps of their backpacks while the other was tightly locked around Marinette’s. The run felt longer than it actually was thanks to just how much rain hammered down on and around them in the process. Both of them ended up drenched and shivering before too long.

“Alright,” Alya took a breath and pulled her bag around. “Just, gimme a second.”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to?” Marinette chimed in, adjusting the drawstrings of her hood some. “I mean, I don’t think I’m that sick, and you’ve done plenty for me tonight.”

“And I’m not done doing stuff for you, either.” Alya smirked and gave it a thought while she continued rooting through her things until she pulled out a small box. “Are you sure you can handle it?” she looked back up with an eyebrow cocked.

“Definitely.” Marinette flexed. “Er, but if I do drop your stuff, I’ll totally...buy you new stuff?”

Alya shook her head. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that, especially since you can’t buy new me.” she pulled the pink book-bag off and handed it over.

“Yeah, you’re limited edition.” Marinette unzipped her backpack, then her lunchbox. “Hey, Tikki,” she whispered into the bag. “We need you.”

The Kwami zipped out after a second or two and hovered between them. “Hi, Alya. What’s going on?” Tikki asked after a stretch.

“Heya, Tikki.” Alya gave a wave and got one back. “We  _kiiiiiiiinda_  need to get out of the rain.”

“I can tell.” Tikki smiled and turned back towards Marinette. “Just say the magic words.”

Marinette smiled. “Spots on!” She muttered out between coughs.

A brilliant light then enveloped her body from head to toe. Gradually it replaced her rain soaked clothes with that of spandex. An extra set of arms appeared below her normal ones, with three fingers on each hand. Two long, shining wings sprouted from her back at the same time two antenna flickered around her face.

“Much better.” Ladybug remarked after the light faded away, getting a feel for her altered form. “Now, your bag?” She held out an arm towards her while the other picked her own backpack up off the ground.

“You shouldn’t try to act cute when you’re sick.” Alya smirked, putting her necklace on before handing her stuff over. “Makes it hard not to kiss you.”

“Oh, well, I’m probably not _that_ contagious.” Ladybug teased. “Not yet, anyway.”

“I’m already taking enough chances tonight.” Alya chuckled and watched as her Kwami appeared. “Hi, Trixx, sorry to wake you up.”

“It’s no problem at all, Alya!” Trixx cheerfully replied. “I’m happy to help!”

“Alright, well, in that case,” Alya cleared her throat but kept her voice quiet. “Let’s pounce!”

A similar wave of light washed over her for a few seconds. Ears shot up from the top of her head while it trailed further down her body. It turned her teeth into fangs, her fingers into claws, and her shirt into orange and white fur. A somewhat wide, twitching tail appeared behind her but quickly sank to the ground.

“Okay,” Rena Rouge stepped up to Ladybug’s chest, wrapping either arm around her chest. “If you drop me, you’re losing your extra pillow privileges for the rest of the month.”

Ladybug snickered. “Oh, I don’t intend on letting you go any time soon, Miss. Rouge.” She gave a smirk, the wings behind her fluttering themselves dry.

Rena scrunched her face with a quiet growl. Maybe it was just how her lips looked while they were drenched, or maybe her cheesy lines were actually working. Whatever the case, she found herself more than a little mesmerized by her girlfriend. For as bad an idea as it was, she figured they'd been out in the cold long enough that standing there just a little longer probably couldn't hurt.

“I really shouldn’t do this.” She pulled an arm around and slowly ran a single claw up Ladybug’s face.

The antenna on Ladybug’s head gently nudged up against Rena’s ears. “Do what?” She couldn’t help but grin, her spare hands grabbing and kneading at various patches of fur on her sides.

“Kiss you.” Rena answered with a smirk of her own. “But I’m gonna do it anyway.”

Whatever slight distance between them was closed with a quiet moan that almost sounded like a sort of purr. Rena’s tongue cleared Ladybug’s lips of rain first, tasting both the saltiness of the storm and the sweetness of her vanilla lipstick at the same time, then nudged its way into her mouth.

Ladybug slowly accepted the kiss, mostly out of worry that she might cough or sneeze and ruin the moment. But thankfully no such thing occurred and they only sank deeper into one another with thunder rolling through the sky.

Rena’s senses seemed to flare up. She could hear Ladybug’s heart beating a little faster than usual, each quiet moan that was stifled in her throat. And the way she tasted so comforting and warm, like butterscotch and sugar. That was what she smelled like, too, only the scent was much more subdued thanks to the rainwater.

“Okay,” Ladybug begrudgingly felt responsible and pulled away, her antenna gently unwrapping from the tips of her fox-like ears. “We, um...We can pick that up later.”

“Er, yeah, we...” Rena needed a moment to come down. “I mean, we might. After you, uh, eat, and stuff.”

Ladybug smiled at the blush on Rena’s face. “Yeah.” She agreed, wrapping all four arms around her and squeezing tight to make sure everything was secured. “Ready?” Her wings fidgeted and spread out.

Rena made sure to have a firm grip around her waist before giving a nod. “Ready.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also also hopefully I'll have Sleepover go up later today if I'm not drowning in cold medicine lmao


	5. Sleepover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug and Rena Rouge return to their dorm room to dry off and get ready for the rest of their night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's a bit short but tbh it sort of was made with the next prompt in mind (and honestly I probably should have done shorter fills originally maybe I wouldn't have fallen so far behind ksjfssf)  
> Anyway I'm probably not gonna finish this on time but I do intend on seeing this through to the end! Which hopefully won't be longer than another day or two as long as my sickness doesn't explode again lmao

“You think anyone saw us?” Ladybug asked, all but slamming the window shut behind her.

“Nah,” Rena replied, taking a moment to shake some of her fur dry. “I think we would have heard a lot more yelling if someone did. Not every day you see a four-armed superhero carrying her fox girlfriend into a dorm room.”

“Good point.” Ladybug quietly chuckled while she sat their bags down. “Spots off.”

Suddenly her extra set of arms and the wings at her back vanished, replaced by a drenched pink hoodie. Rena soon followed suit, dropping her transformation and ushering her Kwami into her nightstand where it was hopefully a little warmer than it was in the room. Marinette did similar with Tikki before flicking on a small heater to the sound of her teeth subtly chattering.

“Oh, yeah,” she muttered, flopping to the floor and snuggling up as close to it as she could. “That’s better.”

“Hey, don’t get too comfortable.” Alya chimed in after changing her shirt. “You’ve still gotta take a bath.”

“Do I have to?” Marinette whined at the mere thought of leaving the heat.

“Maybe not a bath, but you should at least take a shower.”

“But this is so nice.”

“And it’ll be nicer after you get washed up and dried off.”

“Can I just...wait until tomorrow?”

“If you wanna get sicker, sure.” Alya pulled a portable stove-top out of one of their cabinets and plugged it in. “But otherwise, sweetheart, you’ve got a date with that tub down the hall.”

Marinette dropped her head back with a groan. “I liked it better when I was just dating you.”

“Aw, Mari, I’m sure there’s room in your life for the both of us.” Alya teased, fetching some ingredients from the fridge. “We do both love you so very much.”

“Yeah, yeah, _whatever_.” Marinette couldn’t help but snicker, letting out a few coughs in the process. “Y’know, this is kinda like that one sleepover we had in senior year.”

“The last sleepover we had before graduation? How do you figure?”

“Well, it was cold and I was sick, and you were even cooking for me.”

“First time I ever made this for you, actually.”

“Mhm. You made ramen with a bunch of things thrown in it just to butter me up before truth-or-daring me into telling you if I was Ladybug.”

Alya laughed. “Excuse you, that was my secret recipe.”

“I don’t know what’s so secret about putting cheese and eggs into a pot of noodles.” Marinette rolled her head back towards the counter.

“There was some meat in there, too.” Alya filled a bowl with water and set it down on the stove-top. “Speaking of, we’re gonna need to get some more bacon.”

Marinette eventually found it in herself to stand up. “You seduced me with a bunch of random stuff you found in my kitchen.” She took her jacket off before joining Alya at the counter. “Like, you just threw a bunch of bacon into some noodles, broke an egg in it, and then sprinkled some cheese on top.”.

“In my defense,” Alya turned the fire on with a flick of her fingers. “It totally worked.”

“Yeah,” Marinette hummed, briefly nuzzling her forehead to her girlfriend’s slick hair. “It did.”

Alya put an arm around her back. “Right, well, as much as I’d love to kiss you again, you’ve got a date with a bubble bath.” She poured the ramen into the bowl. “Unless you need me to come with you and introduce you two.”

“I’m going, I’m going.” Marinette replied, giving a peck to the top of Alya’s head. “But I think I’m gonna have to skip the bubbles for tonight. I’ll just take a quick shower and get back as fast as I can.”

“Sounds good.” Alya agreed, giving her a kiss on the cheek. “And by the time you get back, your dinner should be ready.”

“Mhm.” Marinette managed to pull away from her girlfriend’s side and rummaged through the top drawer of their shared dresser until she found enough clothes. “Love you!” She called from the door, as if it wasn’t just a few feet away.

Alya snickered and blew a kiss. “Love you, too.”


	6. Domestic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Marinette gets back from her shower feeling better, the dinner Alya made quickly ends up becoming breakfast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more to go! Future's probably gonna be a short epilogue piece that'll hopefully be going up later today. I'm gonna try and write it before I pass out so that way all I gotta do is post but fkdsjsdk

“Feeling any better?” Alya glanced up from the book she’d been reading once the door opened.

“Much.” Marinette smiled, her voice already a little more clear than it’d been all night. “But, er, I guess my dinner got a bit cold, huh?”

“I stuck it in the microwave as soon as it was done, so it shouldn’t be too bad.” Alya stood up, swapping her book for the mess of clothes Marinette was carrying.

Marinette stepped over to the counter-top and opened their microwave. “Yep,” she slightly chuckled at the subtle steam that followed. “Still warm.”

“Good.” Alya hummed, collecting her own drenched outfit from the floor. “I’m gonna stick these in the washing machine real quick.” She started for their bathroom.

“Actually, uh…” Marinette’s soft muttering made her stop about halfway across the room. “I thought maybe we’d just head to bed for the night. I mean, there’s no rush on the laundry and you did make a lot of ramen, so maybe it’d be best to just put it off till tomorrow. That way we can have breakfast together and stuff.”

Alya smiled, a light chuckle trapped behind her lips. “Sounds like someone wants to do a bunch of chores in the morning.”

“That’d be the least I could do after how much you’ve done for me tonight.”

“Oh, I haven’t done _that_  much.”

“I dunno, it feels like a lot.”

“That’s probably just because you’re sick.”

“No,” Marinette sat the bowl down on the counter. “I mean, you’ve...you’ve been really patient with me tonight, Alya, and really helpful too.”

Alya warmly smirked, putting the bundle of clothing down on the floor. “I’m just looking out for you, like a good sidekick should.”

“Maybe, yeah, but it’s just...” Marinette reached a hand up and brushed some of her girlfriend’s hair back. “Even if it’s not that much to you, it means the world to me.”

“Yeah, well,” Alya gently nuzzled up to her forehead. “You mean the world to me.”

A bit cautiously, mostly out of fear of an ill-timed cough, Marinette leaned in closer. “Y’know, we, um...we never did pick up where we left off.”

Alya scoffed. “You’re gonna get me _so_  sick.”

“Probably.” Marinette snickered. “But it’ll be worth it, no?”

She shook her head. “Just kiss me already.”

Slowly, Marinette put an arm around her girlfriend’s back and did just that. Initially timid, she found herself reassured once Alya’s hands ended up on her waist. Her touch brought for the exact amount of confidence she needed to go a little further, to push a little harder, to work a little deeper. A breath hitched in her throat once she started subtly swirling her tongue, soaking in the sweet flavor that was Alya’s mouth. After a few seconds, she could feel her heart start to race, beating in near perfect rhythm with the pounding of rain outside.

Alya gave her as much time as she wanted. Maybe she’d get sick, despite the medicine she took while Marinette was getting her shower, but that didn’t matter to her right now. The only thing on her mind was the lingering taste of butterscotch on Marinette’s lips. Her chest heaved out a sharp gasp the more intense it got, the sensation of her girlfriend’s fingertips pressing into her shoulder blade prompting a shiver that made her blush.

Marinette broke away ever so slightly away, in time with a flash of lightning that lit up the room. “Wow.” She muttered with a prolonged breath.

“Yeah.” Alya chuckled, dipping back in for a little more. She would have taken her own turn, savoring Marinette the way she’d just been savored herself, but was interrupted by a sudden sneeze.

“Sorry.” Marinette sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck.

Alya merely smiled. “Nah, I’ve been waiting for that to happen.” She thumbed up Marinette’s cheek. “At least it was dry, yeah?”

Marinette chuckled. “Yeah.” She stepped towards the box of tissues on her nightstand and blew her nose. “By the way, just because you let me kiss you like that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten about your sidekick line.”

“I’m not surprised.” Alya pulled the blankets on her girlfriend’s mattress down. “I kinda regretted it as soon as I said it, like I knew I was never gonna live it down.”

“I don’t know about  _never_.” Marinette teased, gingerly climbing into bed. “Maybe if you cuddle with me tonight, I might reduce it by a few years.” She added with a tap on the open space beside her.

“Gee, a few years? Thanks.”

“And I’m still kinda cold, so…”

“Alright, alright. You don’t have to sell me on cuddles, Mari.”

Alya moved to the other side of the room and locked their door. She then flicked their overhead light off, leaving them with only the occasional burst of lightning for the rest of the night. Thankfully she thought ahead and organized the room so that she didn’t trip on any stray shoes or backpacks on her way back to Marinette’s side.

“Y’know, I really do feel better.” Marinette stifled a cough that came as if on cue.

“Yeah, well,” Alya took her glasses off with a yawn. “I’m still calling you off work in the morning. What about your classes?”

“I actually don’t have any tomorrow.” Marinette replied, shifting over some to better make room. “And that test isn’t actually for like, another week or so.”

“Good.” Alya put her glasses down on the nightstand and snuggled in behind her. “That means I can keep you warm all day.”

Marinette relaxed in her arms once they’d softly wrapped around her waist. “Erm, by the way, uh...thank you, Alya,” She warmly sighed through her nose. “For everything.”

“It's my pleasure, Marinette” Alya lovingly cooed, kissing firmly on the back of her head and squeezing her tight. “Now, let's get some sleep.”

“Sleep. Er, yeah-” Marinette could feel herself blush. “Goodnight.” She shyly chuckled.

“Goodnight,” Alya smiled. “Sweetheart.” 


	7. Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few days on from Marinette being sick, Alya's facing the consequences of kissing in the rain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey I sorta did this almost on time! Yeehaw! I actually ended up having a lot of fun on this story tbh and I wanna give a big thank you to those who read/kudos/etc.! Y'all give me life lmao

“Sorry I’m late!” Marinette announced after figuring out how to twist the doorknob with a drink carrier in one hand and a bag of groceries in the other. “Turns out I’m not the only one who likes that tea place.”

Alya chuckled, stirring in her bed some. “No worries.” She reached for the box of tissues on her nightstand right before a sneeze. “How’d your chem test go?”

“I think it went alright.” Marinette sat her things down on the counter and started organizing them. “Nothing I wasn’t prepared for-” Her voice was briefly lost in the fridge while she put a carton of eggs away. “Thank you again, by the way.”

“No-” Alya coughed roughly for a moment. “No problem.”

Marinette slid a box of ramen noodles into a cabinet and then turned her attention to the two drinks she’d brought with her. “Sounds like you could really use this.” She walked over to her girlfriend’s bedside. “Oh, uh, it might still be really hot, so be careful.”

Alya gave her a nod and pulled the tab on the lid open, a subtle hint of steam emanating out before she took a sip. “It’s perfect.” She sighed with some sense of relief, merely breathing the scent of her drink doing wonders for her sinuses.

“I asked them to add extra honey to it,” Marinette retrieved her own drink, kicking her shoes off in the process. “Figured it might help with that scratchy throat.”

“At least I’m not wheezing, huh?”

“Eh, I dunno about that. There is a _bit_ of a wheeze.”

“Hardly.”

“Yeah, y’know, it’s _real_ subtle.”

Alya snickered at the teasing, stifling what would have been a round of coughing with a more full drink. For all the cold medicine she’d been taking over the last week or so, the tea she held in her hand seemed to be doing a much better job at making her feel better..

“So, anything else happen today?” Her voice grew somewhat softer after she shifted over to make room.

“Nah, not really.” Marinette sat down beside her. “Er, well, I did stop by your production class on my way out.”

“Yeah?” Alya pulled her blanket up over the both of them. “How’d that go?”

Marinette took a drink of her own. “Pretty well. You haven’t really missed much over the last few days, and the important stuff is in your email.”

Alya dipped her head forward with a breath. “Yeah. Thank you, Mari.”

“Hey, it’s no trouble.” Marinette soothingly ran a hand along her back. “Besides, I gotta look after my sidekick in her time of need.” The grasp shifted to her girlfriend’s side.

“Yeah, yeah.” Alya scoffed. “Just know that if you start tickling me, I’m gonna sneeze all over you. Without mercy.”

Marinette nudged herself closer. “Well, I mean, I think I kinda did that to you, so it’d only be fair.” She smirked, nuzzling up to the warmth of Alya’s temple.

Alya tried not to laugh too much while she shook her head. Her cup was about half full and she’d been unintentionally chugging it during their conversation, so she reached over and put it on the table beside her bed. With that out of the way and Marinette’s fingers tightly wrapped just above her waist, Alya eased into a brief kiss that was eagerly accepted.

“Oh, um, that reminds me, I’ve been meaning to ask-” Marinette giggled after they broke, tasting the honey of Alya’s drink on her lips. “Was it worth it?”

“Kissing you when you were sick or kissing you in the pouring rain when you were sick?” Alya teased.

Marinette answered without much of a thought. “Both.”

She didn’t need to really think on it despite falling a bit silent. Even though she’d fallen ill within days of said kisses, not to mention their late night cuddling, there wasn’t much she’d change about those moments. Such memories were burned into not just her mind, but her heart. The way the rain drizzled down around them in the alleyway and later pounded against their window while they kissed were both still so vivid that it made her shiver some whenever she remembered them.

“Yeah, um…” Alya’s mouth hovered close while she spoke. “It was worth it.” She smiled, a subtle blush on her face.

“Good, because, uh,” Marinette muttered, thumbing down her chin to steal a kiss of her own. It was a bit slower and more methodical, and the deeper she pressed into Alya’s mouth, the more there seemed to be a flicker in her girlfriend’s eyes that she could have sworn matched the lightning she saw that night. “I thought so, too.”

Alya dreamily sighed, cupping a hand on Marinette’s rosy cheek. She held her still for a moment. As if she were thinking of something to say, maybe to keep up her teasing or such, but her mind only defaulted on one thought. One feeling that she vocalized with her slightly raspy voice and a smirk on her face.

“I love you, Marinette.” She muttered, slowly sinking forward again.

“Love you, too,” Marinette grinned, chuckling at her own sentence before she even finished it. “ _Sidekick_.”

Alya’s eyes playfully rolled. “You’re lucky you’re so cute.” She huffed, unable to resist the tea glistening on Marinette’s lips any longer. Her hands reached for the back of her girlfriend’s head, gripping her softly while her tongue worked as if it were counting teeth.

She didn’t cough, she didn’t sneeze, she didn’t even feel sick in the moment. Everything else had melted away until the only thing she felt while slowly sinking backwards onto the pillows was the warm, comforting love that came from being within Marinette’s arms.


End file.
